“Paris Is Burning” Book review

 “Paris Is Burning” Book review

Paris is burning is a film that was recorded in the mid-1980s and released by Jennie Livingston, a Jewish and openly lesbian filmmaker. Later the film was reviewed and written as a novel by Lucas Hilderbrand, covering the drag ball culture in New York City. As Lucas claims, the communities of transgender, Black, Latino and homosexuals face injustice. Livingston shows how these communities form their sub-culture after being stigmatized by society. The ball community members are interviewed in the novel, such as Dorian Carey, Pepper Labeijer, Willi Ninja, and Angie Xtravaganza. Also, they engage in drag ball competitions, where transgender, gay, Latino, or the Black take part, and their performance is judged by how real they are, by their dancing and costume. Through the play, these communities were intended to feel like part of the society by creating their own culture, commonly referred to as nighttime culture. The nighttime culture involved the transgender, gay, Hispanics, and the Black, who would come together and interact. Besides, through the play and the novel, the fight for space and social inclusion in the community and fight against oppressive treatment is revealed, such as racial segregation, sexual identity, and homophobia.

Through the drag ball game, a Black and gay man has a chance to show his realness and ultimate social recognition in the society, even if no one believes it. Livingston pushes for the message that the Black who takes part in the game, has an extraordinary fashion, and White-like costumes which cannot be afforded outside the play can also achieve the wealth they desire from the Whites. Involving characters of wealthy White New Yorkers and White magazines in the scenes is to express shade known as voguing, a dance move invented by the Black and Latino gay men (Mazzone 17). This dance style is a way of expressing their seclusion in a non-violent manner and unfair treatment in the community for being Black or Latino, therefore having a sense of belonging in their nighttime culture. In the past, the dance move was rare, either in the streets or clubs, as it was associated with gays and people did not want to come out openly about it. The dance provided inner tranquillity about the race of the minority groups, who were treated as outcasts, and it was just intended to relate with each other and create their subculture in the unforgiving larger community.

Additionally, Paris is Burning ignites the question of sexual identity in society. During that time, gays remained silent, except for the stage in gay clubs, which were “matchbox interior,” which was rare to find in the streets of the United Kingdom. The transgender people claimed that they wanted to be normal housewives, while the Blacks wanted to be rich like the Whites are (Schacht 47). One of the transgender protagonists, Venus Extravaganza, was allegedly murdered during the time the film documentary was developed. This act was proof that the society, out of social constructivism, was not pleased with the minority groups. The fight for normalization of transgender groups is still on, even today. The transgender members feel unsafe as they stand in the middle of social seclusion and judgement. The idea of performing as the “most real” in the ball competitions was to provide an opportunity to become whatever one desired, in a world where being real was not appreciated, but instead the society was prejudiced and overly judgmental. “In a ballroom,” says Corey, “you can be anything you want. You’re not really an executive, but you’re looking like an executive.” (Livingstone 155)

It is inspiring how the filmmaker, a Jewish lesbian, was able to orchestrate the film to address the transgender and minority race’s position in society and to feel proud of themselves. The fear of openly coming out as gay was not felt on the stage as they wore costumes, imitated the kind of people, and their upper hand positions in the society. Livingston states that it is a misconception to say that the characters admired to be Whites and wished they were not Black, instead she said it is about the class that the Whites were in that would matter. The balls were a response to homophobia and racism, but full of optimism and spirit. The novel and the film are still an inspiration to date where human rights and activists quote them and derive much gratification. What the novel reveals is the deep will that these people had to prove their normalcy on the stage and beyond in the society. The fight for the rights of prostitutions recently has become debatable. The decriminalization of sex workers has been pushed for by organizations defending them, where they are treated like criminals and arrested unlawfully. It is a modern right to association and inclusion in society. There is a need for strong anti-discrimination measures to ensure housing and jobs are available to trans women who need them and safe shelters where homeless transgender would stay.

Furthermore, the novel describes the houses, which were small groups formed on stage representing the working class, queer black, and Latin youth. They were the “House of Chanel,” “House of Ninja” and “House of Extravaganza.” Each queen delivers the same message all across in their way, for example, Xtravaganza says “I would like to be spoiled, rich white girl, they get what they want, whenever they want” (Livingstone, 12). The people on stage are not natural, and they are signifiers telling the world about how the person they portray ought to be. After going through the novel, readers can connect the real struggle that these minority groups go through, even in the modern society that they are secluded, forming their way of life in the form of nighttime culture. Critics point out that some of these characters portrayed self-hatred, but Livingston defends them and states that they are wildly creative and they empower by having the different costumes of a varied class of people and those deemed high in the society. Dorian Carey points out that the ball game competitions inspired many people and it earned them self-respect. The play outlines the lack of opportunity for Blacks and Latinos. It has derived a lot of attention and is a source of might history on the war against social discrimination against people based on their sexuality or race. Willi Ninja, the best voguer of the time, described voguing as fighting through the medium of dance and it is like taking two knives and cutting each other up through dance. Reid Pharr claims that there is a need for more history of the balls and the racial discrimination against the transgender groups, Latinos, and Blacks (Schacht, 151). The modern play for the Black indiscrimination is through social media and Black right’s movements. There are cases of open humiliation and extrajudicial killings of Black men, which has called for modern “dance” by protests against the justice system and the police.

The film allowed the disadvantaged groups to speak their mind to society without fear. In social constructivism, people create a race, gender, and class. Having a group which sways away from the norm seems socially awkward, and it spurs emotions of hatred, stigma, and class towards them (Claudine 15). The society prevents individuals from shinning, just because they do not belong to the same race, sexuality, or social class (Livingston 10). The film deserves to be seen or read from the novel by every American and individual who fight for equal human rights without prejudice and discrimination. At that time, AIDS was a menace that would kill people, and the film was educating the society about it. Since then, there have been massive campaigns about the deadly disease. Also, long after this film was produced, there are transgender movements still fighting for their space in society and inclusion in the warm community.

In conclusion, the violence against the gay and transgender groups is still intense. The number of people from such groups who are murdered still rises every year. Venus’ murder during the making of the film Paris is burning was never solved. Currently, there are still unsolved cases of oppression against gay people and unmentioned deaths. However, the film brought to light the inclination of the society against people of queer sexuality, and they do not have to have their separate nighttime culture, different from the society at large. The current administration creates more division, instead of embracing different people from diverse races. Indirect discrimination is on the rise where organizations have policies that put people of a certain race at a disadvantage.